Ethics Policy

A. Personal and Professional Integrity

FCDC staff, board members and volunteers shall act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization. FCDC promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity.

B. Mission

FCDC shall have a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the Board of Directors, in pursuit of the public good. The FCDC mission is "see lives transformed and the life of the community enhanced by encouraging the oppressed, defending the causes of the weak and maintaining the rights of the poor by bringing together the resources of the caring community as a demonstration of the good news of Christ." All FCDC programs shall support that mission and all who work for or on behalf of the organization will understand and be loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission shall be responsive to the constituencies and communities served by FCDC and of value to the society at large.

C. Governance

FCDC shall have an active governing body, the Board of Directors, which is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of the organization. The Board of Directors:

Ensures that its board members or Directors have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of FCDC and its public purpose;

Has a conflict of interest policy that ensures that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other means; and is responsible for the hiring, firing, and regular review of the performance of the Executive Director and ensures that the compensation of the Executive Director is reasonable and appropriate;

Ensures that the Executive Director and appropriate staff provide the governing body with timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties;

Ensures that the organization conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;

Ensures that the organization promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;

Ensures that the organization is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff and volunteer positions;

Ensures that policies of the organization are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted;

Ensures that the resources of the organization are responsibly and prudently managed; and

Ensures that the organization has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.

D. Legal Compliance

FCDC will be vigilant in compliance with laws, regulations and applicable conventions that govern and regulate our organization.

E. Responsible Stewardship

FCDC shall manage its’ funds responsibly and prudently. This should include the following considerations:

It spends a reasonable percentage of its annual budget on programs in pursuance of its mission;

It spends an adequate amount on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to professional management;

FCDC compensates staff, and any others who may receive compensation, reasonably and appropriately;

FCDC will maintain an appropriate level of funds to maintain our mission and purpose and not accumulate excessive reserve funds;

FCDC ensures that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the organization; and,

All financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.

F. Openness and Disclosure

FCDC shall provide comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about FCDC will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the organization. Basic informational data about the organization, such as reviews and compilations, and audited financial statements will be available to the public with reasonable request. All solicitation materials accurately represent the organization’s policies and practices and will reflect the dignity of program beneficiaries. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.

G. Program Evaluation

FCDC will regularly review program effectiveness and have mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. FCDC is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field. FCDC will be responsive to changes in its field of activity and the needs of its constituencies.

H. Inclusiveness and Diversity

FCDC shall have a policy of promoting inclusiveness and its staff, board and volunteers reflect diversity in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. FCDC shall take meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served.

I. Fundraising

FCDC shall raise funds from the public and from donor institutions and be truthful in solicitation materials. FCDC will respect the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. FCDC shall disclose important and relevant information to potential donors.

In raising funds, FCDC will respect the rights of donors and potential donors, as follows:

To be informed of the FCDC mission, the way the resources will be used and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;

To be informed of the identity of those serving on the FCDC governing board and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;

To have access to the most recent FCDC financial reports upon reasonable request;

To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;

To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition;

To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law;

To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature;

To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, FCDC employees or hired solicitors;

To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that FCDC may intend to share; and,

To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

J. Afterword

While the FCDC Board of Directors has given its approval to this document, it will continue to be reviewed and revised as necessary.